What People Are Saying About Elixa Probiotic

Elixa Probiotic has been a pretty cool endeavor for me. I’ve been writing about it for a year and a half, have made decent money from it, and it seems to be enjoyed by lots of people. For instance, 50% of people who order once, order again. This is pretty remarkable, considering that it’s marketed as either a one-time thing or only every now & then—such as after an illness, round of antibiotics, food poisoning, or an alcohol-centric vacation.

Digging deeper into the order data, 90% of these repeat orders are for larger order sizes than the first and having asked select customers randomly, we find that they’re usually buying for family members.

So, just a random mix of testimonials from a few days last month.

I noticed a huge improvement in my energy levels and my skin, also a lot less bloating as well, and just in general a happy tummy. — Luke W

There was this pouch of ‘fat’ that wouldn’t shift on my belly and I thought this was either water retention or just crap genetics. I tried sodium depletion and a few other things which did not work. After taking Elixa it went away in about 5 days (at least a couple of inches around the waist) and so did a bloated, stuffed feeling. So basically I now know it was distension from gas buildup in my gut. There must have been some weird bugs producing gas from the carbohydrates I eat. My physique looks a lot better since I don’t look pregnant anymore (which is not a good look for a man!). — Ryan Y

Surprisingly it was from the first dose that it resolved the constipation problem. Perhaps fixed a bit too much at first! Bowel movements during the course were everyday or twice per day and quite large. Never loose but quite dramatic evacuations, after being used to the opposite. Once the course finished (I did 6 days only) things returned to what I think is ‘normal’, so a large improvement compared to before I began. Results have stayed more or less but I did opt for a topup which has arrived today so I want to know… (email continues with general questions about recommended frequency of taking, etc.) — Oliver P

Wife and I both experienced much better mood throughout day. Less tiredness mid afternoon. No effect on toilet stuff but no problems there to begin with. — Ivan

Had some buzzing in my ears which has cleared. Also better sleep. Not sure whether both are connected, but they’ve been problems for months and stopped shortly after beginning your 6-day cleanse. — Dora M

I have autoimmune diseases since childhood: psoriasis and celiac disease. I suffered with difficulties in digestion, stomach pains and discomforts food for many years. I did my first Elixa cycle and felt much better (in November 2015). Today I am a regular consumer I repeated the cycle every 2-3 months, and I can see changes in my health at the end of each. — Maira B (a Brazilian customer who went to significant lengths to acquire Elixa since it’s no longer shipped there.)

For those interested in lots more background, here’s a list and quick summary or excerpt of posts thus far, in chronological order of posts by myself and Karl, since the beginning.

An introduction to Karl Seddon, the founder, and manufacturer of Elixa in Manchester, UK, and how he became very interested in the human gut microbiome by living (and eating) in Uganda, where people tend to get a whole lot of prebiotics via food. Quite a whirlwind tour.

One thing its creator, Karl Seddon, is happy to do is to interact personally with customers via email. For instance, one woman had some flu-like symptoms, detailed here, here, and here. That last one is Karl’s input…

…Then someone comes along and applies new science and technology to do something really revolutionary in terms of mega-high dose for a short regimen that’s actually designed to get to your colon quickly.

…However, there’s another technology using encapsulation where the capsule itself resists digestion long enough to break apart in the colon. And this is where Elixa Probiotic comes in. Indeed, purchasers in comments here have attested to seeing the two undigested capsule halves in their stools.

Being the manufacturer and having awareness grow primarily online is a golden pairing that perhaps wasn’t possible a decade or two ago. These two factors present an exciting combination because (1) being the manufacturer gives me the ability to tweak and upgrade the product at an unprecedented turnaround time steered by… (2) feedback from anyone in the world at light speed and the ability to be involved with discussions in a forum that anyone can get involved with.

Let me paint a picture of where probiotic supplements could go next. This will sound familiar to a lot of you who’ve given consideration to this and been following the topic. It makes a tonne of sense on paper, and you’ll be nodding to yourself, saying ‘Yup, this is what we’re after. Now we wait!’ Then, I’ll explain why I think that path is not the next step for probiotics and where I believe that it will go instead, in the shorter term (i.e., the direction I am pursuing with Elixa). Both ideas make sense and will have portions of truth in them.

In this article, I shall share my thoughts on one of the most commonly self-diagnosed conditions: SIBO. I shall list the two most common observations that people make to arrive at their self-diagnosis. We’ll have a look at the typical conclusion that most people make.

Then I’ll present an alternative conclusion for both observations; changing the implications entirely.

Alright, and it shall continue. Karl and I have an enormous surprise for everyone that will soon be revealed. Actually, it’s two big surprises in one, so stay tuned, it won’t be long.

Elixa Probiotic is a British biotech manufacturer in Oxford, UK. U.S. Demand is now so high they’ve established distribution centers in Illinois, Nevada, and New Jersey.

I have tried it – yes, twice. Both times resulted in a massive trasformation of my stool and transit times. The stools became looser and had noticeable increases in volume along with a healthy odour not disimilar to compost heap. Transit times improved from my usual 48 hours to as low as 12 hours. I did notice a slight improvement in skin condition and mood and a huge reduction in bloating after meals. The effects waned over the following 8 weeks and were basically gone after 3 months.

Will I do it again? Yes. Why? Those wonderful bowel movements were among some the most enjoyable I can recall.

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Hi Ann, I think that should be expected. It’s a huge dose, so for most, gives profound effects.

What many report is that while the effects subside, they are left better baseline than before. This is what Karl intended, he always saw it as an intermittent, big dose, so you know it does something (for most, not all), and leaves you better off downstream.

In answer to your question:
No, not at all.
It varies across symptoms being relieved. But, when talking about the statistical response, transitory is not the majority response.
Some of the best feedback I get is from customers who bought one time and never need to take it again. But quite often someone will take Elixa in the first place for some IBS-type problem, then observe the other benefits, then go on a researching rampage now they have seen that the gut really does affect the entire body, and then will take Elixa once every few months as a topup for the ‘other benefits’ (most commonly reported to be uplifted state of mind, reduction of mental fatigue, and improved bowel movement form). And the original IBS-type condition is a forgotten thing of the past.

The diet that is consumed after finishing Elixa is a key determinant of how permanent the effects are. Right now my advice on that is to understand the meaning of ‘FODMAP’ from a scientific perspective (not those ridiculously incorrect FODMAP diet guides online) and sequentially test sensitivity to each. This doesn’t need to be done super-clinically. The categories can be viewed simply such as: fruit, whole grains, starchy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, dairy, etc.
They contain different ratios of fermentable substrates and you can establish which substrates are promoting good/bad microbe proliferation in your L.I. by testing your response to each over several days by introducing them separately (at high amounts) to your current diet.
This is basic though. There will be better advice and strategies arising soon.
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

Thank Richard for passing on the email :)
And to CSantos:
I am sorry that we don’t currently ship to Brazil!
It’s due to the Brazilian Import Customs having a high rate of.. ‘misplacements’. I assume lack of consideration over anything intentional. It seems that the ones that did get through took a long time anyway. (almost a month!)
I’m looking to solve this kind of situation by setting up with a dispatch warehouse in Brazil so that all the hassle and wait is done in bulk and upfront, i.e. the pleasure/pain is all mine – none for the end-user ;) Once the inventory is into the country, there’s no customs to deal with when they are posted out individually.
But it’s behind Canada on the list of priorities right now… and Australia (the latter has no import problems whatsoever, but I want to reduce shipping time because we have a huge amount of demand from Aus right now and it takes over a week to get there).
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

I first took Elixa last year, in a previous iteration of the formula, when Karl was using Rice Starch. It changed things significantly for me. I went from not being able to consume starchy foods/fodmaps at all, to eating them fairly regularly. Likewise, my half-decade long depression began to lift, as well as years-long constipation issues. I took longer doses – two 12 day sets. The benefits waned somewhat after I’d finished a set, but still, it was a huge change for me after years of joint pain, depression, unexplained constant IBS. Hope!

However, I purchased a 24 day set of the new formula, and now Elixa sends me into an arthritic flare within 3 days of taking it. I avoid nightshades for this reason, and I found later that the new formula uses potato starch rather than rice starch, which might explain my reaction to it.

This was obviously very disappointing. It’s been the only probiotic to actually make a difference in my life, thus far. That said, if Karl ever comes out with a version that uses rice starch again as opposed to the potentially inflammatory potato starch, I will be throwing my money at him. Given the trend with resistant starch, however, I don’t see that happening. (Unless I say pretty please?)

Good work, Karl; this has the potential to help a lot of people. Now…just change the formula back for me.

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It usually takes longer for the inflammation to build up, when I am eating potatoes (a week or so, by my trials), but yes, same reaction. It’s faster with other nightshades like tomato and pepper. That said, there could be (and probably are) multiple factors at play. As you mentioned, species of microbiota could be a factor; it might even be the resistant starch feeding a species that I am reactive to which is already present in my gut, as I’ve had arthritic flares from green plantains as well. I generally keep to a low-starch diet to avoid said flares, though my original run with Elixa allowed me a bit more leeway in that.

Thank you for the follow up, Joe.
It will be interesting to see how you react to future permutations with the same excipient (PS) but different bacterial species. There are alternative excipients I can use, but the potato starch granule structure has some advantages over the rice starch granule.
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

Just my opinion… experience. I *used* to have terrible reactions to potatoes and the smallest amount of potato starch including horrible joint pains (hips, knees, fingers, etc.). I spent years avoiding potatoes and potato starch. When I found this blog, I even called myself “Natasha vs potato”, that is how much of a menace it was to me.

Now I know, that pain in response to nightshares, specifically potatoes means you are missing something. After several years, I can now eat potatoes (yellow, red, white, blue, French fries, starch) with no problems. In fact, the pain that I used to get…. I now get on a lesser scale if I have not eaten any potatoes. I suspect that the gut bugs that were missing/out of balance before…. now get hungry and out of balance if I don’t feed them.

Karl, don’t change the recipe. Potato starch is stellar.

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I know that this post is old, but I am very curious about Natasha’s comment. Have some people figured out how not to be sensitive to nightshades? She says there is something missing if you have pain from potatoes (i still dont know if I am but I suffer from “trigger points all over”)?? Can anyone point me in the right direction? I am tryin to eat more cold potatoes and stuff for Rs3 n 2 but I keep having irritable bowel. Ive done Elixa but maybe my guts are worse than I thought.

Cooked starch can contribute fermentable material (fiber) to the gut flora not just via retrogradation to RS3 (cooked and cooled) or via sheer volume.
In cooked starch the ‘hard starch’ residue is a significant contributor.
The glucose molecules that make up starch – in both the amylose and amylopectin forms of starch are joined together mainly via one type of bond. However, amylose and amylopectin are not simple chains akin to a necklace of glucose beads. They assume a 3-dimensional structures. Amylose is a spiral, akin to a necklace of glucose beads coiled around into a spring shape. Amylopectin is branched, akin to multiple lengths of glucose beads arranged like the branches of a willow tree.

As I’ve said, most of these bonds are of one type. A type that human amylase (the enzyme that breaks down starch) can readily break down – leading to digestion and absorption in the small intestine.

However, within amylopectin each willow branch requires a branch point from the preceding chain of glucose. This branch point is made via a different type of bond. This bond is not so readily broken down by human amylase.
So human amylase is like the human with the pruning shears that can slice and dice all parts of the branch and trunk, including either side of the branch points, yet can not shear the branch points themselves. This results in small lengths of the amylopectin structure around the branch points which are not broken down small enough to the extent that we can absorb them. Thus explaining how cooked starch can contribute to the total load of fiber arriving in the gut.

This ‘hard starch’ residue survives digestion in the small intestine and arrives in the large intestine.
For a healthy gut this is simply healthy substrate for flora to eat.
If you happen to have an overgrowth of a certain non-beneficial species of bacteria, then it can cause problems.
Because this particular bacteria will utilise various enzymes of its own to break down and consume this hard starch. These enzymes, such as pullulanase and dipeptidases, can trigger an immune response from ourselves. This immune response involves creating antibodies against these bacterial enzymes.
As it happens, these same antibodies we manufacture against these bacterial enzymes can also react with antigens of our own tissue, such as epitopes of collagen present in joints, due to the apparent similarity of the bacterial enzyme epitopes and the epitopes on collagen. It is like you have made a key to open one lock (to disable this bacteria) and it happens to also open this other lock (our joints) somewhere else by random chance.

So the same immune response created to target this bloom in ‘hard starch’-degrading bacteria will also target joints. An immune attack on our joints would result in joint pain.

Of course, for any who have not guessed, I am referencing the aetiology of Ankylosing Spondylitis in the presence of a Klebsiella Pneumoniae overgrowth and starch consumption.

This would, to me, more likely explain joint pain caused by PS rather than the glycoalkaloid component.
Variations between different starch types (such as no symptoms with bread/rice consumption) may be explained by the difference in resistivity of the starch granule as a whole (which would determine the amount of ‘hard starch’ arriving in the large intestine) or the cooking methods used.

Thanks so much for responding Karl. Correct me if I am wrong but isnt amylopectin easier to digest than amylose? It is counter intuitive with “pectin” being in the name but I remember reading Fast Tract Digestion by Norm Robillard where he talks about their structures. I understand your comment about how our immune systems work against us. It is very controversial how to go about fixing these issues. I like the approach your working on the best. Let’s stop throwing the baby out with the bath water and rebalance the gut instead of avoiding triggers for a lifetime, or taking antibiotics and antifungals once in a while. I need what is missing!

Hi Beau,
I imagine that raw amylopectin would be easier for human amylases to break down than raw amylose due to the structure and ‘exposure’ to enzymes. In raw starch, it would likely be irrelevant since the starch granule should still be present in raw starch whole food (e.g. under-ripe fruit, raw tigernuts, raw tubers) and this is a bigger determinant of starch resistivity. Not to mention the exterior cellulose cell wall…

For retrograded starch (RS3) or for abnormal forms (such as PS powder which may have been milled to a gauge so small that the starch granule was sheared) there may be some measurable difference (for amylose vs amylopectin), with little practical significance.

The amylopectin ‘hard starch’ residue I am talking about is unique in that it applies to cooked starch, which the majority of people consume.

It occurred to me that unmodified potato starch would be more accessible to a species-deficient microbiota than eating tubers raw. In the latter you would need additional microbial species for production of the enzymes required to break down the hemicellulose, pectin, etc., that surrounds the starch granule within the plant cell. Whereas with unmodified potato starch the cell has already been breached by the milling process and so you would only need microbial species able to create the enzymes necessary to break the starch down. This makes PS potentially useful as a temporary fix for certain conditions in cases where natural substrate would be inaccessible due to the deficiency in the microbiota.

It also occurred to me that if you ate the amount of COOKED starch required to achieve X grams of fermentable starch arriving in the intestine and you compared that to eating the amount of RAW starch required to get an equal X grams of fermentable starch to the large intestine (which would be much less for the same X), the COOKED starch would result in the X grams of fermentable starch containing a much higher proportion of hard starch (amylopectin branch point residues) because that is the main way cooked starch can avoid the human amylases, whereas raw starch avoids them for conformational reasons and would get through the small intestine ‘whole’, not a partial residue.
This would imply to me that eating cooked starches would always lead to more problems than benefits for someone with Ankylosing Spondylitis, whereas they may be able to get some benefits out of raw starch before the disadvantages kicked in (because they’d be able to reach a much higher level of total RS prior to reaching their ‘hard starch’ pain threshold).

As you can see, all these complications and balancing acts are made moot by the real solution: returning full diversity to the gut.
That way you can forget about trying to eat the ‘right’ fermentable fiber and avoid the ‘wrong’ fermentable fiber. It all becomes the ‘right’ fermentable fiber.

Interesting thought Karl. That makes a lot of sense. So hard starch (amylopectin branch points) in the presence of certain species can have more of a negative effect than consuming raw potato starch by itself. I wonder if that could explain some peoples “sensitivities” to foods so seemingly benign as jasmine rice. Which is suppose to be one of the most easily assimilated types of starch there is, prepared properly of course. Just do a candida cleanse and chug bentonite clay all will be fixed! I want to graduate from the University of Gut Diversity so badly haha.

Oh and by the way; if anyone is reading..for the longest time I was hesitant to start trying out raw potato starch because of a post on AnimalPharm/gutinstitute that talks about how too much rs2 kills good guys and it absolutely needs rs3 with it. Then I read a post here that says she is nutso and has a funky agenda. I am sorta confused.. Correct me if I am wrong but the general consensus is RPS is perfectly fine to supplement without always having rs3 with it, or some other form of fiber to carry and spread it more. I realize spreading is ideal, but not entirely necessary? And of course eat multiple different fermentable types, within tolerance and good feedback. Thanks for reading. Thanks for letting us all figure this out in ur comments Richard, even if its old stuff =)

I was very excited to try Elixa after reading the testimonials from yourself and in the comment sections of a lot of your articles but I unfortunately had a pretty bad reaction to not one but two separate 6 day programs. I know that Elixa’s success depends on the condition of your gut microbiome going in but I experienced severe gas, bloating and general abdominal pressure both times I attempted the 6 day courses.

I’m glad Elixa seems to work wonders for so many people but I’m not sure what to do exactly about my own gut microbiome. Just thought I’d share my experience not to disparage Elixa but just in case anyone you might have a suggestion for someone in my situation.

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Hi Taylor,
Thank you for sharing the feedback.
2 Quick Qs:
Were you taking Elixa on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning?
Any other dietary or supplement additions/subtractions around the same time?
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

Hi Karl,
Yes I took Elixa first thing in the morning (6am last meal usually around 7pm) with nothing but a large glass of water.
Other than taking Elixa I made no other changes to my diet which I make no claim to be perfect but usually consists of something like oatmeal for breakfast sandwhich for lunch and usually a slightly more indulgent dinner with fruits and veggies mixed in but try to keep things pretty simple.

Hi Taylor,
I’m just chiming in here to say that is my experience as well. I’ve just finished my first course and the bloating and discomfort has reached epic proportions! I’ve emailed Karl to ask for his recommendation about continuing with another course to see if this is just a result of having a seriously screwed up biome (which I know I have). I’m bummed, though. I’d really hoped it would work for me.

Thanks. Not wanting to influence you too much but just relay an experience. I never had a prob with Elixa or any other probiotic but way back when I started with prebiotics, particularly potato starch, I had two incidents.

Both were several hours of extreme discomfort, tension, undulating cramps and bloating shortly after substantial doses of PS. But here’s what was weird for me. In all the doses I’d ever taken, nothing but some fartage, as we called it. The other thing is that both incidents were while vacationing in Tahoe, several months apart. Weird thing.

I’m also from Brazil and also interested in Elixa. I’m thinking about travelling to USA later this year or maybe early 2017, not 100% sure yet, and buy some Elixa for myself. If you’re interested, I’ll let you know when I do this trip and see if I can bring one for you as well.

I’m not a fan of leaving my contacts on the internet, so if you want, you can find me on Richard’s facebook, I’m the only one named Maiara liking his posts =)

I’m a 68yo male and I just took my first dose of Elixa this morning.
I’m in good health and take no meds whatsoever.
I lift weights – Starting Strength + 5-3-1 programs.
Occasional cardio on my ROM machine.
I do all the cooking in the house, a combo of Paleo and Keto.
I even make all the food for our dogs (the Crockpet Diet).
Back to my response to my first dose of Elixa.
Incredible energy boost; no nap for the day yet, even baked a clafouti for the wife and me.
Much less gas than normal. Have recently replaced yoghurt with kefir as I seem to respond better with the kefir. Have been doing intermittent fasting for a couple of months now (only eat during a 7-hour window daily). Have also been doing resistant starch for a month every day. Tried the potato diet for a few days and got a bit too light headed for comfort; may attempt that again having only potatoes for lunch. Looking forward to continuing the Elixa and if results stay positive will place another order soon.

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I am reporting back after my first Elixa course as promised:
I was very encouraged and hopeful after reading all reports about skin improvements. I am dealing with Lichen Planopilaris (very annoying inflammation of the scalp).
Unfortunately, I had no improvement of that at all.
Where I noticed positive effects was – my usual bloating was almost gone and still is a week after I finished Elixa; and TMI – my BMs were as regular as always but well formed instead of mushy for a change.
So something went right but not enough to have scalp reaching effects.
I guess I will have to order another course.
I am taking chicory root inulin now as advised by Karl but not sure if 4 g per day is enough.
My diet includes cooked and cooled potatoes, rice, pinto beans; organic beef, chicken, eggs, wild caught salmon, greenish bananas and plantains, nuts… the usual clean whole foods.
Any advice from from you guys would be much appreciated.

Teddy

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Hi Teddy,
Really appreciate the feedback. Thanks :)
Glad to hear it has helped with the bloating!
I agree that 4g inulin is not enough. But it’s crucial to ramp up slowly. I’d keep pushing it up slowly every week and see what happens.

I am 99% certain the scalp inflammation will be resolved in the very near future. And it will be done so via targeting the gut, as you already are doing. However, it may require future iterations of what I am manufacturing right now. Elixa v3, Tribal, etc.
All a work in progress! :)

I can not wait to see and try what you have up your sleeve. Tribal, Elixa v3 AND an ‘etc’ part?

As far as the beans, I am confused… I thought the way to go is low FODMAP before and during Elixa and then back to fibers and r. starches to feed the good guys. I even started having Brussel sprouts, more beans, a slice of apple here and there the last few days. I guess that was wrong?

Also, I posted the question in the Richard’s Tribal prebiotic page but might as well repeat it here: ramping up inulin at the same time as ramping up PS or do one, stop and then the other?
Big thanks for your and Richard’s help and encouragement!

No, that’s correct. I was just expressing my opinion that I think pinto beans aren’t necessarily a good source of the right *types* of FODMAP. Obviously, your own personal experience should take priority over hypotheticals BUT I think that FODMAPs vary in how beneficial they can be. There is certainly a huge amount of individual-specific variation (due to differences in dysbiosis), but I think there are some ‘absolute’ good and bad FODMAPs. For example, I don’t think something like lactulose, brans, or sorbitol can be viewed in the same way as RS, inulin, HMOs etc..
My reply to the other question should be viewable already in the other thread. I replied yesterday so let me know if it isn’t showing for you and I’ll transcribe it here :)
Kind Regards,
Karl

Yes, it will be good to know – preferred legumes and a couple of preferred of each FODMAP type would be great.
The words lactulose or sorbitol mean nothing to me – I tried researching but no useful info about specific foods came up so not sure what to avoid from the ‘bad FODMAPs’. I will definitely put the breaks on pinto beans after the current cooked and cooled batch is over :-) Can’t resist it.

P.S. I read your inulin/PS answer on the other page. Thank you!

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I just ordered a two pack from your site. I’m super interested in how this will effect my thyroid (I’m hypo) and have a few other issues such as adrenal fatigue etc. Ive also done the Genova stool test (a year ago now) where I found out I had almost no lactobacillus :( And was deficient in some other things. Since then I’ve tried all probiotics some with 50billion cu so hopefully this is the ticket to something big…

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Just a quick question that I can’t seem to find the answer to, “Do Good Probiotics Fight Each Other?” Karl mentions in one of his videos how probiotics wage chemical warfare against bad bacterial strains in an effort to claim territory in the gut, and I was wondering if the good guys play nicely with each other or if they do not discriminate between helpful and hurtful bacterial strains. Any help on this inquiry would be greatly appreciated.

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Hi Ryan,
Good question and one that would naturally come from thinking further into the topic.
My conclusions on this are as follows:
1. If beneficial microbes were hostile against each other to a significant degree (above and beyond simply maintaining their own niche) then a decrease in microbial diversity would occur resulting in a disadvantage for the host. If this were the case then the belligerent ‘beneficial’ microbe wouldn’t be particularly beneficial after all and I don’t see how the evolved traits which selected/allowed for those ‘beneficial’ microbes to reside in our gut (all things being natural, i.e. no ABX) would remain in the gene pool for very long. (sort of like the ‘anthropic principle’…)
2. The interactions/cross-feeding and so on, that are present within biofilm communities necessitate diversity so I think that it would be odd for them to target each other,bearing in mind metabolic byproducts from their target may be the reason they are able to survive at all. It would be like shooting your village farmer and then dying of starvation because you have no potatoes to eat.
3. Some of the action from beneficial microbes is as simple as acidification. Just like in fermenting cabbage into sauerkraut. As long as it is anaerobic, lactic acid producing bacteria get the upperhand. The drop in pH they cause is what excludes pathogenic growth. It seems that many beneficial microbes handle low pH a lot better than pathogens can. This is handy but probably inevitable (anthropic principle again).
4. If there was some unnatural/contrived reason that caused an overgrowth of an otherwise beneficial microbe (beyond what their natural intestinal niche would support), e.g. due to Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS), excess of certain substrates that are unnatural, etc… then perhaps they can cause detrimental effects.
But that would be in unnatural circumstances.
For example d-lactate acidosis in SBS.
As an aside I do not think d-lactate is an issue and even in SBS it may not be the culprit (just a co-existing factor) as evidenced by adminstering equivalent amounts of d-lactate into the bloodstream of patients not experiencing ‘d-lactate’ acidosis and observing almost negligble side-effects compared to the patients experiencing ‘d-lactate’ acidosis. I suspect it is another metabolic byproduct or dysregulation of the immune system and that the high LAB count is purely incidental.
Kind Regards,
Karl (ELIXA)

I have tried it – yes, twice. Both times resulted in a massive trasformation of my stool and transit times. The stools became looser and had noticeable increases in volume along with a healthy odour not disimilar to compost heap. Transit times improved from my usual 48 hours to as low as 12 hours. I did notice a slight improvement in skin condition and mood and a huge reduction in bloating after meals. The effects waned over the following 8 weeks and were basically gone after 3 months.

Will I do it again? Yes. Why? Those wonderful bowel movements were among some the most enjoyable I can recall.

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Hi Ann, I think that should be expected. It’s a huge dose, so for most, gives profound effects.

What many report is that while the effects subside, they are left better baseline than before. This is what Karl intended, he always saw it as an intermittent, big dose, so you know it does something (for most, not all), and leaves you better off downstream.

In answer to your question:
No, not at all.
It varies across symptoms being relieved. But, when talking about the statistical response, transitory is not the majority response.
Some of the best feedback I get is from customers who bought one time and never need to take it again. But quite often someone will take Elixa in the first place for some IBS-type problem, then observe the other benefits, then go on a researching rampage now they have seen that the gut really does affect the entire body, and then will take Elixa once every few months as a topup for the ‘other benefits’ (most commonly reported to be uplifted state of mind, reduction of mental fatigue, and improved bowel movement form). And the original IBS-type condition is a forgotten thing of the past.

The diet that is consumed after finishing Elixa is a key determinant of how permanent the effects are. Right now my advice on that is to understand the meaning of ‘FODMAP’ from a scientific perspective (not those ridiculously incorrect FODMAP diet guides online) and sequentially test sensitivity to each. This doesn’t need to be done super-clinically. The categories can be viewed simply such as: fruit, whole grains, starchy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, dairy, etc.
They contain different ratios of fermentable substrates and you can establish which substrates are promoting good/bad microbe proliferation in your L.I. by testing your response to each over several days by introducing them separately (at high amounts) to your current diet.
This is basic though. There will be better advice and strategies arising soon.
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

Thank Richard for passing on the email :)
And to CSantos:
I am sorry that we don’t currently ship to Brazil!
It’s due to the Brazilian Import Customs having a high rate of.. ‘misplacements’. I assume lack of consideration over anything intentional. It seems that the ones that did get through took a long time anyway. (almost a month!)
I’m looking to solve this kind of situation by setting up with a dispatch warehouse in Brazil so that all the hassle and wait is done in bulk and upfront, i.e. the pleasure/pain is all mine – none for the end-user ;) Once the inventory is into the country, there’s no customs to deal with when they are posted out individually.
But it’s behind Canada on the list of priorities right now… and Australia (the latter has no import problems whatsoever, but I want to reduce shipping time because we have a huge amount of demand from Aus right now and it takes over a week to get there).
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

I first took Elixa last year, in a previous iteration of the formula, when Karl was using Rice Starch. It changed things significantly for me. I went from not being able to consume starchy foods/fodmaps at all, to eating them fairly regularly. Likewise, my half-decade long depression began to lift, as well as years-long constipation issues. I took longer doses – two 12 day sets. The benefits waned somewhat after I’d finished a set, but still, it was a huge change for me after years of joint pain, depression, unexplained constant IBS. Hope!

However, I purchased a 24 day set of the new formula, and now Elixa sends me into an arthritic flare within 3 days of taking it. I avoid nightshades for this reason, and I found later that the new formula uses potato starch rather than rice starch, which might explain my reaction to it.

This was obviously very disappointing. It’s been the only probiotic to actually make a difference in my life, thus far. That said, if Karl ever comes out with a version that uses rice starch again as opposed to the potentially inflammatory potato starch, I will be throwing my money at him. Given the trend with resistant starch, however, I don’t see that happening. (Unless I say pretty please?)

Good work, Karl; this has the potential to help a lot of people. Now…just change the formula back for me.

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It usually takes longer for the inflammation to build up, when I am eating potatoes (a week or so, by my trials), but yes, same reaction. It’s faster with other nightshades like tomato and pepper. That said, there could be (and probably are) multiple factors at play. As you mentioned, species of microbiota could be a factor; it might even be the resistant starch feeding a species that I am reactive to which is already present in my gut, as I’ve had arthritic flares from green plantains as well. I generally keep to a low-starch diet to avoid said flares, though my original run with Elixa allowed me a bit more leeway in that.

Thank you for the follow up, Joe.
It will be interesting to see how you react to future permutations with the same excipient (PS) but different bacterial species. There are alternative excipients I can use, but the potato starch granule structure has some advantages over the rice starch granule.
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

Just my opinion… experience. I *used* to have terrible reactions to potatoes and the smallest amount of potato starch including horrible joint pains (hips, knees, fingers, etc.). I spent years avoiding potatoes and potato starch. When I found this blog, I even called myself “Natasha vs potato”, that is how much of a menace it was to me.

Now I know, that pain in response to nightshares, specifically potatoes means you are missing something. After several years, I can now eat potatoes (yellow, red, white, blue, French fries, starch) with no problems. In fact, the pain that I used to get…. I now get on a lesser scale if I have not eaten any potatoes. I suspect that the gut bugs that were missing/out of balance before…. now get hungry and out of balance if I don’t feed them.

Karl, don’t change the recipe. Potato starch is stellar.

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I know that this post is old, but I am very curious about Natasha’s comment. Have some people figured out how not to be sensitive to nightshades? She says there is something missing if you have pain from potatoes (i still dont know if I am but I suffer from “trigger points all over”)?? Can anyone point me in the right direction? I am tryin to eat more cold potatoes and stuff for Rs3 n 2 but I keep having irritable bowel. Ive done Elixa but maybe my guts are worse than I thought.

Cooked starch can contribute fermentable material (fiber) to the gut flora not just via retrogradation to RS3 (cooked and cooled) or via sheer volume.
In cooked starch the ‘hard starch’ residue is a significant contributor.
The glucose molecules that make up starch – in both the amylose and amylopectin forms of starch are joined together mainly via one type of bond. However, amylose and amylopectin are not simple chains akin to a necklace of glucose beads. They assume a 3-dimensional structures. Amylose is a spiral, akin to a necklace of glucose beads coiled around into a spring shape. Amylopectin is branched, akin to multiple lengths of glucose beads arranged like the branches of a willow tree.

As I’ve said, most of these bonds are of one type. A type that human amylase (the enzyme that breaks down starch) can readily break down – leading to digestion and absorption in the small intestine.

However, within amylopectin each willow branch requires a branch point from the preceding chain of glucose. This branch point is made via a different type of bond. This bond is not so readily broken down by human amylase.
So human amylase is like the human with the pruning shears that can slice and dice all parts of the branch and trunk, including either side of the branch points, yet can not shear the branch points themselves. This results in small lengths of the amylopectin structure around the branch points which are not broken down small enough to the extent that we can absorb them. Thus explaining how cooked starch can contribute to the total load of fiber arriving in the gut.

This ‘hard starch’ residue survives digestion in the small intestine and arrives in the large intestine.
For a healthy gut this is simply healthy substrate for flora to eat.
If you happen to have an overgrowth of a certain non-beneficial species of bacteria, then it can cause problems.
Because this particular bacteria will utilise various enzymes of its own to break down and consume this hard starch. These enzymes, such as pullulanase and dipeptidases, can trigger an immune response from ourselves. This immune response involves creating antibodies against these bacterial enzymes.
As it happens, these same antibodies we manufacture against these bacterial enzymes can also react with antigens of our own tissue, such as epitopes of collagen present in joints, due to the apparent similarity of the bacterial enzyme epitopes and the epitopes on collagen. It is like you have made a key to open one lock (to disable this bacteria) and it happens to also open this other lock (our joints) somewhere else by random chance.

So the same immune response created to target this bloom in ‘hard starch’-degrading bacteria will also target joints. An immune attack on our joints would result in joint pain.

Of course, for any who have not guessed, I am referencing the aetiology of Ankylosing Spondylitis in the presence of a Klebsiella Pneumoniae overgrowth and starch consumption.

This would, to me, more likely explain joint pain caused by PS rather than the glycoalkaloid component.
Variations between different starch types (such as no symptoms with bread/rice consumption) may be explained by the difference in resistivity of the starch granule as a whole (which would determine the amount of ‘hard starch’ arriving in the large intestine) or the cooking methods used.

Thanks so much for responding Karl. Correct me if I am wrong but isnt amylopectin easier to digest than amylose? It is counter intuitive with “pectin” being in the name but I remember reading Fast Tract Digestion by Norm Robillard where he talks about their structures. I understand your comment about how our immune systems work against us. It is very controversial how to go about fixing these issues. I like the approach your working on the best. Let’s stop throwing the baby out with the bath water and rebalance the gut instead of avoiding triggers for a lifetime, or taking antibiotics and antifungals once in a while. I need what is missing!

Hi Beau,
I imagine that raw amylopectin would be easier for human amylases to break down than raw amylose due to the structure and ‘exposure’ to enzymes. In raw starch, it would likely be irrelevant since the starch granule should still be present in raw starch whole food (e.g. under-ripe fruit, raw tigernuts, raw tubers) and this is a bigger determinant of starch resistivity. Not to mention the exterior cellulose cell wall…

For retrograded starch (RS3) or for abnormal forms (such as PS powder which may have been milled to a gauge so small that the starch granule was sheared) there may be some measurable difference (for amylose vs amylopectin), with little practical significance.

The amylopectin ‘hard starch’ residue I am talking about is unique in that it applies to cooked starch, which the majority of people consume.

It occurred to me that unmodified potato starch would be more accessible to a species-deficient microbiota than eating tubers raw. In the latter you would need additional microbial species for production of the enzymes required to break down the hemicellulose, pectin, etc., that surrounds the starch granule within the plant cell. Whereas with unmodified potato starch the cell has already been breached by the milling process and so you would only need microbial species able to create the enzymes necessary to break the starch down. This makes PS potentially useful as a temporary fix for certain conditions in cases where natural substrate would be inaccessible due to the deficiency in the microbiota.

It also occurred to me that if you ate the amount of COOKED starch required to achieve X grams of fermentable starch arriving in the intestine and you compared that to eating the amount of RAW starch required to get an equal X grams of fermentable starch to the large intestine (which would be much less for the same X), the COOKED starch would result in the X grams of fermentable starch containing a much higher proportion of hard starch (amylopectin branch point residues) because that is the main way cooked starch can avoid the human amylases, whereas raw starch avoids them for conformational reasons and would get through the small intestine ‘whole’, not a partial residue.
This would imply to me that eating cooked starches would always lead to more problems than benefits for someone with Ankylosing Spondylitis, whereas they may be able to get some benefits out of raw starch before the disadvantages kicked in (because they’d be able to reach a much higher level of total RS prior to reaching their ‘hard starch’ pain threshold).

As you can see, all these complications and balancing acts are made moot by the real solution: returning full diversity to the gut.
That way you can forget about trying to eat the ‘right’ fermentable fiber and avoid the ‘wrong’ fermentable fiber. It all becomes the ‘right’ fermentable fiber.

Interesting thought Karl. That makes a lot of sense. So hard starch (amylopectin branch points) in the presence of certain species can have more of a negative effect than consuming raw potato starch by itself. I wonder if that could explain some peoples “sensitivities” to foods so seemingly benign as jasmine rice. Which is suppose to be one of the most easily assimilated types of starch there is, prepared properly of course. Just do a candida cleanse and chug bentonite clay all will be fixed! I want to graduate from the University of Gut Diversity so badly haha.

Oh and by the way; if anyone is reading..for the longest time I was hesitant to start trying out raw potato starch because of a post on AnimalPharm/gutinstitute that talks about how too much rs2 kills good guys and it absolutely needs rs3 with it. Then I read a post here that says she is nutso and has a funky agenda. I am sorta confused.. Correct me if I am wrong but the general consensus is RPS is perfectly fine to supplement without always having rs3 with it, or some other form of fiber to carry and spread it more. I realize spreading is ideal, but not entirely necessary? And of course eat multiple different fermentable types, within tolerance and good feedback. Thanks for reading. Thanks for letting us all figure this out in ur comments Richard, even if its old stuff =)

I was very excited to try Elixa after reading the testimonials from yourself and in the comment sections of a lot of your articles but I unfortunately had a pretty bad reaction to not one but two separate 6 day programs. I know that Elixa’s success depends on the condition of your gut microbiome going in but I experienced severe gas, bloating and general abdominal pressure both times I attempted the 6 day courses.

I’m glad Elixa seems to work wonders for so many people but I’m not sure what to do exactly about my own gut microbiome. Just thought I’d share my experience not to disparage Elixa but just in case anyone you might have a suggestion for someone in my situation.

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Hi Taylor,
Thank you for sharing the feedback.
2 Quick Qs:
Were you taking Elixa on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning?
Any other dietary or supplement additions/subtractions around the same time?
Kind Regards,
Karl (Elixa)

Hi Karl,
Yes I took Elixa first thing in the morning (6am last meal usually around 7pm) with nothing but a large glass of water.
Other than taking Elixa I made no other changes to my diet which I make no claim to be perfect but usually consists of something like oatmeal for breakfast sandwhich for lunch and usually a slightly more indulgent dinner with fruits and veggies mixed in but try to keep things pretty simple.

Hi Taylor,
I’m just chiming in here to say that is my experience as well. I’ve just finished my first course and the bloating and discomfort has reached epic proportions! I’ve emailed Karl to ask for his recommendation about continuing with another course to see if this is just a result of having a seriously screwed up biome (which I know I have). I’m bummed, though. I’d really hoped it would work for me.

Thanks. Not wanting to influence you too much but just relay an experience. I never had a prob with Elixa or any other probiotic but way back when I started with prebiotics, particularly potato starch, I had two incidents.

Both were several hours of extreme discomfort, tension, undulating cramps and bloating shortly after substantial doses of PS. But here’s what was weird for me. In all the doses I’d ever taken, nothing but some fartage, as we called it. The other thing is that both incidents were while vacationing in Tahoe, several months apart. Weird thing.

I’m also from Brazil and also interested in Elixa. I’m thinking about travelling to USA later this year or maybe early 2017, not 100% sure yet, and buy some Elixa for myself. If you’re interested, I’ll let you know when I do this trip and see if I can bring one for you as well.

I’m not a fan of leaving my contacts on the internet, so if you want, you can find me on Richard’s facebook, I’m the only one named Maiara liking his posts =)

I’m a 68yo male and I just took my first dose of Elixa this morning.
I’m in good health and take no meds whatsoever.
I lift weights – Starting Strength + 5-3-1 programs.
Occasional cardio on my ROM machine.
I do all the cooking in the house, a combo of Paleo and Keto.
I even make all the food for our dogs (the Crockpet Diet).
Back to my response to my first dose of Elixa.
Incredible energy boost; no nap for the day yet, even baked a clafouti for the wife and me.
Much less gas than normal. Have recently replaced yoghurt with kefir as I seem to respond better with the kefir. Have been doing intermittent fasting for a couple of months now (only eat during a 7-hour window daily). Have also been doing resistant starch for a month every day. Tried the potato diet for a few days and got a bit too light headed for comfort; may attempt that again having only potatoes for lunch. Looking forward to continuing the Elixa and if results stay positive will place another order soon.

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I am reporting back after my first Elixa course as promised:
I was very encouraged and hopeful after reading all reports about skin improvements. I am dealing with Lichen Planopilaris (very annoying inflammation of the scalp).
Unfortunately, I had no improvement of that at all.
Where I noticed positive effects was – my usual bloating was almost gone and still is a week after I finished Elixa; and TMI – my BMs were as regular as always but well formed instead of mushy for a change.
So something went right but not enough to have scalp reaching effects.
I guess I will have to order another course.
I am taking chicory root inulin now as advised by Karl but not sure if 4 g per day is enough.
My diet includes cooked and cooled potatoes, rice, pinto beans; organic beef, chicken, eggs, wild caught salmon, greenish bananas and plantains, nuts… the usual clean whole foods.
Any advice from from you guys would be much appreciated.

Teddy

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Hi Teddy,
Really appreciate the feedback. Thanks :)
Glad to hear it has helped with the bloating!
I agree that 4g inulin is not enough. But it’s crucial to ramp up slowly. I’d keep pushing it up slowly every week and see what happens.

I am 99% certain the scalp inflammation will be resolved in the very near future. And it will be done so via targeting the gut, as you already are doing. However, it may require future iterations of what I am manufacturing right now. Elixa v3, Tribal, etc.
All a work in progress! :)

I can not wait to see and try what you have up your sleeve. Tribal, Elixa v3 AND an ‘etc’ part?

As far as the beans, I am confused… I thought the way to go is low FODMAP before and during Elixa and then back to fibers and r. starches to feed the good guys. I even started having Brussel sprouts, more beans, a slice of apple here and there the last few days. I guess that was wrong?

Also, I posted the question in the Richard’s Tribal prebiotic page but might as well repeat it here: ramping up inulin at the same time as ramping up PS or do one, stop and then the other?
Big thanks for your and Richard’s help and encouragement!

No, that’s correct. I was just expressing my opinion that I think pinto beans aren’t necessarily a good source of the right *types* of FODMAP. Obviously, your own personal experience should take priority over hypotheticals BUT I think that FODMAPs vary in how beneficial they can be. There is certainly a huge amount of individual-specific variation (due to differences in dysbiosis), but I think there are some ‘absolute’ good and bad FODMAPs. For example, I don’t think something like lactulose, brans, or sorbitol can be viewed in the same way as RS, inulin, HMOs etc..
My reply to the other question should be viewable already in the other thread. I replied yesterday so let me know if it isn’t showing for you and I’ll transcribe it here :)
Kind Regards,
Karl

Yes, it will be good to know – preferred legumes and a couple of preferred of each FODMAP type would be great.
The words lactulose or sorbitol mean nothing to me – I tried researching but no useful info about specific foods came up so not sure what to avoid from the ‘bad FODMAPs’. I will definitely put the breaks on pinto beans after the current cooked and cooled batch is over :-) Can’t resist it.

P.S. I read your inulin/PS answer on the other page. Thank you!

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I just ordered a two pack from your site. I’m super interested in how this will effect my thyroid (I’m hypo) and have a few other issues such as adrenal fatigue etc. Ive also done the Genova stool test (a year ago now) where I found out I had almost no lactobacillus :( And was deficient in some other things. Since then I’ve tried all probiotics some with 50billion cu so hopefully this is the ticket to something big…

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Just a quick question that I can’t seem to find the answer to, “Do Good Probiotics Fight Each Other?” Karl mentions in one of his videos how probiotics wage chemical warfare against bad bacterial strains in an effort to claim territory in the gut, and I was wondering if the good guys play nicely with each other or if they do not discriminate between helpful and hurtful bacterial strains. Any help on this inquiry would be greatly appreciated.

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Hi Ryan,
Good question and one that would naturally come from thinking further into the topic.
My conclusions on this are as follows:
1. If beneficial microbes were hostile against each other to a significant degree (above and beyond simply maintaining their own niche) then a decrease in microbial diversity would occur resulting in a disadvantage for the host. If this were the case then the belligerent ‘beneficial’ microbe wouldn’t be particularly beneficial after all and I don’t see how the evolved traits which selected/allowed for those ‘beneficial’ microbes to reside in our gut (all things being natural, i.e. no ABX) would remain in the gene pool for very long. (sort of like the ‘anthropic principle’…)
2. The interactions/cross-feeding and so on, that are present within biofilm communities necessitate diversity so I think that it would be odd for them to target each other,bearing in mind metabolic byproducts from their target may be the reason they are able to survive at all. It would be like shooting your village farmer and then dying of starvation because you have no potatoes to eat.
3. Some of the action from beneficial microbes is as simple as acidification. Just like in fermenting cabbage into sauerkraut. As long as it is anaerobic, lactic acid producing bacteria get the upperhand. The drop in pH they cause is what excludes pathogenic growth. It seems that many beneficial microbes handle low pH a lot better than pathogens can. This is handy but probably inevitable (anthropic principle again).
4. If there was some unnatural/contrived reason that caused an overgrowth of an otherwise beneficial microbe (beyond what their natural intestinal niche would support), e.g. due to Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS), excess of certain substrates that are unnatural, etc… then perhaps they can cause detrimental effects.
But that would be in unnatural circumstances.
For example d-lactate acidosis in SBS.
As an aside I do not think d-lactate is an issue and even in SBS it may not be the culprit (just a co-existing factor) as evidenced by adminstering equivalent amounts of d-lactate into the bloodstream of patients not experiencing ‘d-lactate’ acidosis and observing almost negligble side-effects compared to the patients experiencing ‘d-lactate’ acidosis. I suspect it is another metabolic byproduct or dysregulation of the immune system and that the high LAB count is purely incidental.
Kind Regards,
Karl (ELIXA)

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I'm Richard Nikoley. Free the Animal began in 2003 and as of 2018, contains over 4,600 posts and 110,000 comments from readers. I cover a lot of ground, blogging what I wish...from health, diet, and lifestyle to philosophy, politics, social issues, and cryptocurrency. I celebrate the audacity and hubris to live by your own exclusive authority and take your own chances in life. [Read more...]

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